A universal integrated circuit card (UICC), which is one of the identification modules, corresponds to a smart card that is inserted into an electronic device to provide a particular service. The UICC may include a subscriber identification module (SIM) card. The UICC may store personal information on a mobile communication subscriber and, when the electronic device accesses a wireless communication network, authenticate the subscriber and generate a traffic security key, thereby enabling the safe use of wireless communication. The subscriber may be a user who subscribes to a particular wireless communication service provider which provides the wireless communication network.
In general, by a request from the particular wireless communication service provider, the UICC is manufactured as a dedicated card based on the particular wireless communication service provider, and is released while including authentication information for the corresponding service provider's access to the network, for example, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) application, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and an authentication key value. Further, the communication service provider may provide the released UICC to the subscriber. The UICC may be used for installing, modifying, and removing an application from the UICC based on a technology, such as over the air (OTA) according to a request signal from the user and the communication service provider. The subscriber may insert the UICC received from the communication service provider into the electronic device to use a network and an application service of the corresponding wireless communication service provider. Further, when the user changes the electronic device, by extracting the UICC from the electronic device and inserting the extracted UICC into a new electronic device, the user may use the existing authentication information, mobile communication phone numbers, and a personal phone book pre-stored in the UICC in the new electronic device.
In general, a UICC has an attachable/detachable type, and may include a SIM card. A normal UICC has a particular communication service provider preset thereto and may be used in accordance to a wireless communication network service provided by the communication service provider. For example, the attachable/detachable UICC of the related art is independent of a particular communication service provider and, when desiring to use a service provided from another communication service provider, requires another attachable/detachable UICC corresponding to the other communication service provider. Accordingly, the user may feel difficulty in using services provided from other communication service providers. For example, when the user desires to use only a service provided by a particular communication service provider, the user has difficulty with changing the UICC and has danger of losing the UICC.
Therefore, a need exists for a method of changing a profile by using an identification module and providing a wireless communication service based on the changed profile, and an apparatus implementing the same.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.